Writer Nguyen Xuan Thuy spreads meaningful stories about Truong Sa

In anticipation of the 81st anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army (December 22, 1944 - December 22, 2025), many meaningful activities have been organized. Among them, a series of exchanges with writer Nguyen Xuan Thuy and his work "I Tell You the Story of Truong Sa" has helped students better understand the sacred sovereignty of the sea and islands and the image of today's soldiers.

Lieutenant Colonel and writer Nguyen Xuan Thuy interacts with the students.

Lieutenant Colonel and writer Nguyen Xuan Thuy (working at the Army Literature and Arts Magazine) is a soldier and writer who has spent almost his entire youth in the Truong Sa archipelago.

This year, he embarked on a special journey: a series of meet-and-greet sessions, book signings, and conversations with students from various schools in Hanoi . This meaningful activity was organized by Kim Dong Publishing House in collaboration with several other organizations. Wherever the writer was present, the story of Truong Sa was told with warmth, affection, and a deep sense of hope and love.

Writer Nguyen Xuan Thuy and Ms. Le Thi Thuy Duong (in charge of the "Our Home Books" project) at the exchange event.

At the beginning of December, the campus of Chu Van An Junior High School (Tay Ho, Hanoi) held a special weekly flag-raising ceremony with a Q&A session and book signing for "I Tell You the Story of Truong Sa".

Writer Nguyen Xuan Thuy - the young soldier who once "carried a fluttering backpack to the island" - now stands in the middle of a circle of clear eyes of students. His innocent and witty questions about the species of maple trees, storms or white-capped waves, "Is the fresh water in Truong Sa... sweet?" have brought an exciting atmosphere to the students and teachers.

Many books brought to the school quickly reached the hands of young readers. The pages opened up before their eyes a world both strange and familiar: Truong Sa – a sacred place of the Fatherland – yet told in the innocent way of fairy tales in real life.

The writer has a lot of warm affection for children.

Asking, chatting and signing books until… "With his arms outstretched," the writer couldn't hide his joy. Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Xuan Thuy shared that the children's questions made him feel like he was transported back to his youthful days on the remote island, where the sky was vast, colorful, and full of surprises every day.

While those who have spent a few days in the Spratly Islands will remember the sacred moments on the island, writer Nguyen Xuan Thuy – a soldier who has dedicated himself to protecting national sovereignty there – has accumulated rich and subtle memories.

For him, the sky over Truong Sa sometimes resembles a music stage, with constantly changing lights, shimmering as if someone were controlling a giant lighting system. And on some days, the soldier can see different parts of the sky: one side bathed in brilliant sunshine, the other shrouded in a white blanket of rain.

A lively exchange between primary school students.

His memoirs were even included in textbooks, always captivating young readers with their picture-perfect illustrations. In them, the sky is constantly changing; schools of flying fish and dolphins leap out of the water; ancient, storm-resistant trees stand proudly in the ocean; and the figures of countless soldiers living simple, steadfast lives on the islands far out at sea are depicted.

In his youth, writer Nguyen Xuan Thuy came to Truong Sa on a voluntary journey. Enlisting in 1996, he served successively in the South Central region, the Central Highlands, and then Cam Ranh. When he heard the announcement to register for Truong Sa, he was one of the first to volunteer.

"I'll tell you the story of Truong Sa" is coming to students at Chu Van An Junior High School (Tay Ho, Hanoi).

On the island, challenges and hardships are commonplace: scorching sun, salty air, biting northeast winds, fierce storms that shake everything... But it was there that a passionate love for the sea and islands was ignited in the young soldiers. The moments returning from guard duty, sitting under the sea almond trees, the nights of rough seas listening to the wind howling in their ears, the golden days stretching across the coral reefs… all became inseparable parts of their memories.

From those memories blossomed literary works. He published his first work and then embarked on a professional literary career. Later, Nguyen Xuan Thuy impressed with many works, diverse in themes and genres. However, no matter what he wrote, there was always a common heartbeat within him: sharing and empathy.

Author Nguyen Xuan Thuy signs books for students in Hanoi.

For young readers, "I Tell You the Story of Truong Sa" (Kim Dong Publishing House, 2011) has become a significant milestone. The work, which won the Gold Award for Best Book in the 2012 National Book Awards, instilled in readers a love for the sea and islands in the most natural way.

Also in December, the author had many touching meetings with students. At Le Hong Phong Primary School (Hanoi), the atmosphere was so lively that even the young teachers enthusiastically raised their hands to speak. Teacher Le Thi Minh Cuc recounted a memory from 2015 when she won first prize at the district level for a book presentation competition using this very work. But the most memorable moment was the words of a little primary school girl: "I see so many handsome soldiers!" This remark instantly livened up the atmosphere, and behind those smiles was the author's quiet joy at feeling the images of the soldiers of Truong Sa entering the hearts of children in the most genuine and innocent way.

The organizers and authors give books to students of schools.

At other schools he visited, he received even more affection. Each signed book served as a link connecting the children to their homeland's islands and seas. More than two decades have passed since his return to the mainland, but for Lieutenant Colonel and writer Nguyen Xuan Thuy, Truong Sa remains a part of his very being, a sacred and inseparable memory.

Today's young generation of readers may not fully understand the hardships of the soldiers stationed on the islands, nor the nights spent guarding the sea amidst the raging northerly winds, nor the waterspouts that rise above the water during stormy seasons. But through the beautiful, warm, and captivating writing style and the warm, sincere narrative voice of author Nguyen Xuan Thuy, they have come to see a Truong Sa that is closer, more beautiful, and more moving.

The writer communicates in a friendly, approachable style.

Ms. Le Thi Thuy Duong, in charge of the "Books at Home" project – a co-organizer with Kim Dong Publishing House and schools – shared: "We always believe that good books and beautiful stories will sow seeds of compassion, responsibility, and patriotism in every soul. Therefore, when coordinating the series of exchange programs with writer Nguyen Xuan Thuy, we consider it a journey to bring Truong Sa closer to the students. The author is a soldier who has lived, experienced, and loved every wave and every inch of land on the distant islands, so when he tells stories, it creates a very special impact."

Ms. Thuy Duong expressed that at each school, the organizers saw the eager eyes of the children, their little hands constantly raised to ask more questions about the sea, islands, and soldiers. This further motivated the program team to bring books closer to the students. Such interactive sessions not only help children access knowledge but also contribute to traditional education in a natural, joyful, and emotionally charged atmosphere.

The students expressed their admiration and affection for the writer-soldier.

Throughout December, a series of exchange and traditional awareness-raising activities will continue to be implemented in many schools and organizations in Hanoi as well as in several other provinces and cities. Besides writer Nguyen Xuan Thuy, upcoming programs are also expected to invite more authors, journalists, and researchers to participate in discussions with students, thereby expanding the scope of knowledge acquisition and helping them gain more diverse perspectives on the sea, islands, history, and national culture.

Writer Nguyen Xuan Thuy shared that he particularly looks forward to the exchange sessions with the participation of many writers, as this will help the story of the homeland be seen from many perspectives. The organizing units, including Kim Dong Publishing House and the "Our Home Books" project, hope that the series of activities will spread more widely, creating a vibrant educational environment, contributing to fostering love for the homeland, awareness of maritime sovereignty and national pride for today's generation of students, especially as the entire education sector is focusing on the meaningful commemoration of the founding day of the Vietnam People's Army on December 22nd.

MAI LU

Source: https://nhandan.vn/nha-van-nguyen-xuan-thuy-lan-toa-nhung-cau-chuyen-y-nghia-ve-truong-sa-post929159.html